Ketchum Plans Annual Trailing of the Sheep Festival

KETCHUM, Idaho (KLIX) – These woolly animals know how to put on a show.

The annual Trailing of the Sheep Festival, now in its 21st year, is scheduled for Oct. 4-8 in Ketchum and Hailey.

The Trailing of the Sheep Parade, which this year will be at noon on Sunday, Oct. 8, started in 1996 and expanded from there, the festival’s executive director, Laura Drake, previously told News Radio 1310. It evolved after a bicycle path was installed on a national sheep driveway, and trailer users became discouraged because they’d encounter sheep dung on their path.

Community discussions led to forming a parade in an effort to celebrate and educate people about the culture and history of sheepherding in the area, Drake said. It hasn’t changed its focus over the years, but it has expanded to become the festival it is today.

Beside the parade, the five-day event includes the Folk Life Fair, live concerts, cooking classes and a lamb feast, among many other activities.